Two individuals were captured on a Ring security video breaking the window of the office of a Washington state Republican legislator on Monday and tossing a flare inside.
The lawmaker is state Rep. Andrew Barkis, who represents the district encompassing the state capital, Olympia.
Video of the attack was posted on Twitter by the Republican leader of the state House of Representatives, JT Wilcox, who shares the office with Barkis.
The House Republican campaign offices also are in the building.
The perpetrators are seen on the office’s front porch at about 4 a.m. on Monday morning.
The first person, wearing a mask, broke the glass of a window and left. The second person then came up the stairs onto the porch, lit a flare and dropped it inside.
Wilcox said “thank goodness” the flare landed on the masonry floor.
He wrote that there is no information on the perpetrators or their motivation, but he is “very concerned.”
Wilcox told the McClatchy news service that he and Barkis don’t believe it was a random attack but are unsure why they were targeted.
The Republican leader noted that last Friday a shooting occurred outside the home of Washington state Republican Rep. Peter Abbarno of Centralia, about 30 miles south of the state capital.
Wilcox told McClatchy he does not believe the incidents are connected and he does not believe the shooting was directed at Abbarno. But both incidents have been reported to the Washington State Patrol, and the Olympia Police Department was also contacted about the incident Monday.
Wilcox wrote fellow lawmakers, urging them to be especially vigilant regarding the safety of their families right now.
“Two out of 41 people having a felony committed in front of them or their property seems a little odd for five days,” he said.
See the video:
Last night 2 individuals broke a window and threw a lit flare into the office of my seatmate, Rep. Andrew Barkis. We have no information about perps or motivation, but I’m very concerned. Thank goodness the flare landed on a masonry floor. pic.twitter.com/vRr829tCPC
— Rep. JT Wilcox (@jtwilcox111) June 13, 2022
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